The Association for Gaff Rig Sailing

 

These OGA Rules were approved at a Special General Meeting on April 24, 2021.

The revised wording of Section 15 was approved at the January 15, 2022 ACM to provide clarity to the existing criteria for awarding Honours.

The revised Section 3, Trademarks and Logos was approved at the January 22, 2025, AGM.

References to a printed Yearbook removed and the last four paragraphs in section 10 regarding liabilities added – approved at the January 31 2026, AGM.

 

 

1. NAME

 

Our historic and official name is the “Old Gaffers Association”.  For all communications we use:  “OGA, The Association for Gaff Rig Sailing”.

 

 

2. OBJECTIVES

 

The Objectives of the Association are:

• To encourage interest in and sailing of gaff, lug and spritsail rigs and their development.
• To encourage seamanship and comradeship.
• To offer advice and help to members.
• To organise races, rallies and social events.
• To increase the number of events that cater for trailer sailors/small boats.
• To maintain a Boat Register to provide information on historic and current boats of interest to OGA members.
• To remain financially viable and sustainable.

 

 

3. TRADEMARKS AND LOGOS

 

“Old Gaffers Association”, “Gaffers” and the Burgee Logo are registered trademarks. All OGA branded clothing, merchandise, external communications and all advertising and promotion material will comply with the OGA Merchandising and Branding Guidelines, available to all Association Committee Officers.

 

 

4. BURGEE

 

The Association Burgee shall be dark blue with a white pitchfork.

 

 

5. MEMBERSHIP

 

Membership shall be open to all persons interested in gaff rig and other traditional rigs.  There shall be the following categories of membership:

 

• Individual - entitled to one vote and to receive one copy of the Gaffers Log.

 

• Family - two adults and children under the age of 18 resident at the same address, entitled to two votes and one copy of the Gaffers Log.
• Junior - under 25 years of age and entitled to one vote and to receive one copy of the Gaffers Log.

 

 

6. SUBSCRIPTION

 

The annual subscription for each category of membership is payable on January 1st each year. Subscription rates will be reviewed at a General Meeting.

 

A member who has not paid by March 31st shall be deemed to have resigned. A member joining after October 1st shall pay a full annual subscription, which will last until the following December 31st.

 

In the event of a subscription being increased, members are required to pay the new rate by March 31^st, or membership will be terminated. Non-payment of the subscription will automatically terminate membership.

 

 

7. FINANCE

 

All Area income and expenditure is to be accounted for and recorded in the annual Association accounts. Area accounts shall be closed on 30th September and audited. These accounts shall be presented to an Area General Meeting of the Area Members for approval in time for them to be forwarded to the Association Treasurer not later than 15th November of the same year.

 

The Association annual accounts shall be independently examined and presented at the Association AGM by the Association Treasurer and published in the Spring Issue of the Gaffers Log.

 

 

8. GAFFERS LOG

 

The Gaffers Log is the Association magazine, distributed to all members three times a year.

 

Area Secretaries shall keep the Gaffers Log Editor aware of Area activities, race results, and any other matters likely to be of interest to the membership at large.

 

There shall be no charge for advertising members’ boats or equipment. Commercial organisations will be charged at the discretion of the General Management Committee.

Past copies of the Gaffers Log will be made available on the Website 2 years after publication.

 

 

9. RACES

 

Where possible at least one race for gaff, lug and spritsail rigged boats shall be held in each Area each year.

 

Areas will define race instructions and conditions for entry. Non-members should be encouraged to participate at an extra charge if deemed appropriate by the Area.

 

Boats shall be handicapped by the OGA T(H)CF Racing Handicap system or such system as prescribed by the Association or Area Committee, and Area Committees shall retain detailed race results, which may be included in their Annual Report.

 

 

10. ASSOCIATION STRUCTURE

 

The OGA is an Area based organisation with each Area Committee having responsibility for implementing the Association Objectives. The Areas elect their own Committees, at an Area Annual General Meeting, and should consist of a President, Secretary, Treasurer and preferably an Events/Sailing Officer. Other Area Officers can be appointed as required. Area Secretaries shall keep the Association Secretary informed of the names of Area Committee Members.

 

The Areas will submit an annual report on their activities at the Association Committee Meeting.

 

The Association Committee is the governing body of the Association and is responsible for policies, direction, commonality across Areas, legal matters and finances. The Association Committee is made up of the Presidents and Secretaries from every Area and the General Management Committee.

 

The General Management Committee acts on behalf of the Association Committee in implementing the day to day business of running the Association. The General Management Committee will consist of the following officers:

• Association President (elected at the AGM)
• Association Secretary (elected at the AGM)
• Association Treasurer (elected at the AGM)
• Association Membership Secretary (elected at the AGM)

 

The following officers will also be co-opted onto the GMC:

• Gaffers Log Editor
• Online Editor
• Boat Register Editor
• Small Boats Secretary

 

The General Management Committee will meet regularly and make the minutes available to the Association Committee.

 

All officers shall remain in office for a period not exceeding three consecutive years, but may stand for re-election.  Nominations for the election of Association Officers may be submitted by any member of the Association and must be received by the Association Secretary by October 20^th, for inclusion in the Autumn Issue of the Gaffers Log.

 

Association Officers are ex officio members of all Area committees.

 

In pursuance of the authority vested in the Association Committee incorporating the Area Committees and the General Management Committee (together, the "Committees" for this Rule 10) and, members of the Committees shall be indemnified by the members of the Association out of the assets of the Association from and against any liability, costs, expenses or payments whatsoever which may be properly incurred or made by them or any one of them in the exercise of their duties on behalf of the Association wherever the contract is of a duly authorised nature or could be assumed to be of a duly authorised nature and entered into on behalf of the Association.

 

Should the assets of the Association be insufficient to satisfy such liability, costs, expenses or payments the Committees shall be entitled to a personal indemnity from the individual members of the Association. The limit of any individual member's indemnity in this respect shall be a sum equal to one year's subscription at the then current rate of that category of membership unless the Committees have been authorised to exceed such limit by a General Meeting of the Association.

 

The Committees shall endeavour to ensure that the following clause is incorporated in every contract, lease, licence or other agreement entered into by the Committees of the Association, as appropriate.

 

The liability of the Committee for the performance of any contractual or other obligation undertaken by them on behalf of the OGA shall be limited to the assets of the Association.

 

 

11. MEETINGS

 

Areas shall hold an Area Annual General Meeting at which any new officers shall be elected by simple majority and any other business discussed. All members of an Area shall be invited to the Area Annual General Meeting of their Area. Visitors from other Areas may join in the discussion, but may not vote. Minutes of Area Annual General Meetings shall be forwarded to the Association Secretary.

 

The Association Committee Meeting takes place annually, usually prior to the Annual General Meeting. Items for the agenda should be submitted to the Association Secretary by the AC members. The minutes will be made available to the Association Committee.

 

An Association Annual General Meeting shall be held each year for the election of any new Association Officers, presentation of accounts and awards, and other Association matters.  The Association Secretary shall publish the Agenda in the Autumn Issue of the Gaffers Log, which will include nominations for elections. The quorum for an Annual General Meeting shall be twenty. Minutes will be published in the Spring Issue of the Gaffers Log.

 

A Special General Meeting shall be summoned by the Association Secretary on receiving a written request that includes the objective and proposed resolution, from (a) the Association President, Treasurer or Membership Secretary, (b) any three elected members of the Association Committee or (c) at least forty members of the Association who are entitled to attend and vote at General Meetings.

 

On receipt of such a request the Association Committee will be asked for their recommendations for resolution. The meeting will be held within 40 days of the request and at least 28 days notice given to all members by e-mail and include the objective, proposed resolution and Association Committee’s recommendations.

 

All members attending the Special General Meeting are entitled to vote. The resolution or proposed alterations shall be carried by a majority of at least two thirds of those present at the meeting. The quorum for a Special General Meeting shall be 40. No other subject than that thus specified shall be discussed or dealt with at a Special General Meeting.

 

The decisions of the meeting will be published to all members by e-mail.

 

 

12. SAFEGUARDING AND CHILD PROTECTION

Safeguarding and Child Protection is the responsibility of all members who must be aware of the Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy which can be found on the OGA website at: -

https://oga.org.uk/about/policies/safeguarding.html

 

 

13. DATA PROTECTION

 

The Association will store and use members’ details in accordance with our Data Privacy Policy, which can be found on the OGA website:

https://oga.org.uk/about/policies/data_protection.html

 

 

14. COPYRIGHT

 

The OGA may use any photograph provided by members for the OGA Website, Facebook and Instagram pages, and the Gaffers Log. If the photograph was not taken by that member, then they must have obtained written consent from the originator.

 

 

15. HONOURS

 

The Association may from time to time wish to honour an individual whose contribution to the Association has been exceptional and beyond the call of duty. Nominations for Elder Gaffer and Honorary Life Member should be submitted by an Area President/Secretary to the Association President/Secretary with a citation. Nominations will be reviewed at an Association Committee Meeting and if two thirds of the AC are in favour then successful candidates will be announced at the Association AGM. Elder Gaffers and Honorary Life Members will not pay a subscription but will retain their voting power at General Meetings as members of the Association. Criteria for nominating an individual for these Honours are as follows:

 

• Elder Gaffer:  Awarded to those who are long standing members of the Association and who have rendered exceptional service to the Association in the pursuit of the Association’s Objectives (see Rule 2).  They must have served as an officer of the Association at either Association or Area level, have knowledge and experience of the workings of the Association and be in a position to offer wise counsel to management committees. An Elder Gaffer has ex officio membership of all committees, but only in an advisory capacity, having no vote other than the normal member’s vote in a General Meeting. There shall be no more than 16 Elder Gaffers at one time. An Elder Gaffer is entitled to fly the Elder Gaffer flag (see below)

• Honorary Life Member:  This position is awarded to those members or non-members who are committed to the preservation and sailing of boats with traditional rigs, and are committed, directly or indirectly, to support the Association’s objectives. They should have undertaken exceptional work or actions to promote these aims, not necessarily within the OGA itself. An Honorary Life Member has no membership of committees unless elected. There shall be no more than 16 Honorary Life Members at one time.

 

 

16. EXPULSION

 

Any member not complying with the Rules of the Association or said to be guilty of conduct injurious to the good name of the Association shall be liable to permanent expulsion. In such an event the matter shall be brought to the attention of the Association Secretary by the Area concerned. The Association Secretary shall form a Special Committee of five persons taken from Area Presidents, Area Secretaries or full members of the General Management Committee, so long as they have no connection in any way with the matter raised. Both the Area concerned and the person concerned shall make written representation to the Association Secretary for distribution to the special committee.

 

At an agreed date, but no longer than three months from the first written submission, the special committee shall meet. Both parties shall be invited to attend. The Special Committee, having had the opportunity to investigate the matter fully will, on a majority vote, have the authority to permanently expel, or not, the person concerned. Any members expelled from the OGA shall not attend any OGA organised event unless they have received permission from the Committee of the Area responsible for the event.

 

 

17. CHANGES TO RULES

 

These Rules shall be changed only at a General Meeting of the Association. The Association Secretary shall give at least 14 days written notice of such a meeting and the proposed changes to all members. Such changes shall become effective if two thirds of the votes cast at the meeting are in favour. Proposals for changes to the Rules may be made by any member in writing, seconded by another member and sent to the Association Secretary at least 10 weeks before the date of a General Meeting.

 

 

 

18. DISSOLUTION

 

If, at any General Meeting of the Association, a resolution is passed calling for the dissolution of the Association, the Association Secretary shall immediately convene a Special General Meeting of the Association to be held not less than one month thereafter to discuss and vote on the resolution.

 

If, at that Special General Meeting, the resolution is carried by at least two-thirds of the votes, the General Committee shall then, or at such date as shall have been specified in the resolution, proceed to realise the assets of the Association and discharge all debts and liabilities of the Association.

 

After discharging all debts and liabilities of the Association, the remaining assets shall not be paid or distributed amongst the members but shall be given or transferred to some other voluntary organisation having objectives similar to those of the Association.

 

 

19. INTERPRETATION

 

Interpretation of these Rules and matters not covered by them shall be decided by the Association Committee.

 

 

 

Colin Stroud

Association Secretary.

February 6, 2026